JIP SHARES Ver 2 1

SHARESJIPProjectPlan
August2011,version2.1
JointIndustryProject(JIP)
ShaftDynamicLoadsandResponsesatExtremeManeuvering
andVentilationofMechanicalAzimuthingThrusters
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Contents
1.0Background...............................................................................................................................................3
2.0SHARESJIPObjectives...............................................................................................................................5
3.0ScopeofWork...........................................................................................................................................6
WP1Operationstudiesandinvestigations...............................................................................................10
WP2Shaftdynamicresponseandmodeling............................................................................................11
WP3Dynamicloadstestsduringextrememaneuveringandinteractions..............................................15
Dynamicloadsduringextrememaneuvering.......................................................................................15
Dynamicloadsduringthrusterinteractions.........................................................................................18
WP4Dynamicloadstestsatventilation...................................................................................................21
Workingprincipleofthrusterventilation.............................................................................................21
Dynamicloadsmeasurementofpropellerventilation.........................................................................25
WP5Fullscalemeasurementandmonitoring..........................................................................................27
Loadsmeasurement.............................................................................................................................28
Vibrationmeasurement........................................................................................................................30
Pressurepulses/underwaternoisemeasurement..............................................................................32
Videoobservations...............................................................................................................................33
Operationalparametersmeasurements..............................................................................................33
Shorttermdedicatedfullscalemeasurements...................................................................................34
Longtermmonitoringduringservice...................................................................................................35
4.0Deliverables.............................................................................................................................................35
5.0Finance....................................................................................................................................................36
Costs......................................................................................................................................................36
Participation&Contributions...............................................................................................................37
6.0Timeschedule.........................................................................................................................................38
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1.0Background
Inthelastyearsduringtheboomoftheglobalshipbuildingindustry,aconsiderableamountof
mechanical azimuthing thrusters (typically pushing arrangements with ducted propellers and
pullingarrangements with open propellers) have been manufacturedand delivered for various
applicationsofdifferenttypesofvessels,coveringwiderangesofoperationalprofiles.Recently,
some gear and bearing failures were reported after the thrusters being used in service, for
instance,onlyhalforoneyear,irrespectiveofthethrustermanufacturersortheshipoperators.
Obviously the operation of those mechanical azimuthing thrusters has exceeded the design
constraintsandlimits,whicharebasedonthepresentunderstandingofhydrodynamicloadson
thrustersandtheirshaftingsystems,includinggearsandbearings.Atleasttwopossiblecauses
havebeenidentifiedandblamedtoberesponsibleforthosemechanicalfailures.Oneofthemis
the extreme maneuvering of azimuthing thrusters, including interactions, typically for offshore
structures used for transit or dynamic positioning (DP). The other is the thruster ventilation,
whichoccursbothinDPandalsoinhighspeedsailingconditionswhenfittedtothevesselata
location close to the free surface. In both cases, large variations of hydrodynamic loads and
dynamicresponsesoftheshaftingsystemoccur,leadingtohighleveltransientdynamicloadson
the propeller blades, which further transmit through the propeller hub and shaft to the
underwatergears,tothepinionshaftandtoitsbearings.
Typical damages found in thrusters are the broken teeth on the bevel gears and the worn
bearingsofthepinionshafts,althoughabunchofsafetyfactorshaveoftenbeenappliedinthe
designstage.Thesesafetyfactorsincludethesafetyfactoragainstsurfacepittingdamage,the
safetyfactoragainstsubsurfacefatigue,thesafetyfactoragainsttoothrootdamage,thesafety
factoragainstthebreakageoflubricationfilmandthesafetyfactoragainstTIFF(ToothInterior
FatigueFracture).ItisunderstoodnowadaysthattheTIFFisthemajorfailuremodethatcauses
themajorityoftheteethdamages.Thefollowingisapictureshowingthetypicaldamages.
AnexampleofTIFFfailure
(source:http://coralcorp.com/main/Bulletins/BULLETIN%2051_%20INTERIOR%20FATIGUE%20FRACTURE%20_TIFF.pdf)
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The scale of the damage is large that worries not only the thruster manufacturers, the gear
makers and the ship operators, but also the classification society who defines the rules for
designing,manufacturingandoperatingofsafe,reliableanddurablethrusters.
Currently most thrusters are designed for a single (static) design condition. In reality however,
thrusters hardly ever operate exactly at the design point. The impact of the most important
cause for the mechanical failures (continuously and/or suddenly changing loads) cannot be
assessed in this way. Offdesign conditions may result in damages and overload the thrusters
whicharethelargerisksfortheoperators.Recentobservationshaveshownthatthenumbersof
failureshavebeenrisingduetolargerexternalloadsanduncertaintiesinthefailurestrengthof
components. Without deep understanding of the offdesign conditions and possible dynamic
loads on the power train of the thrusters, the shafting system can be either over or under
dimensioned. Systems which are overdimensioned, are too expensive to purchase and to
maintainwhileconsumingtoomuchfuelandcausingunnecessaryemissionssincetheyoperate
often away from their optimal design condition. But for systems that are underdimensioned,
damages may occur due to unexpected high loads from, such as, propeller ventilation and
thrusterthrusterinteractionsatoffdesignconditions.
Inservingtheshipbuilding,shippingandoffshoreindustriesbythoroughstudiesandresearchto
gaininsightsonthedynamicloads,especiallyatoffdesignconditions,MARINproposesthisJoint
Industry Project (JIP) on hydrodynamic loads and SHAft RESponses of mechanical thrusters
SHARES. By participating in this JIP, participants share their mutual knowledge, their expertise
andtheirexperienceinsolvingthemechanicaldamageproblemsofazimuthingthrusters.
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2.0SHARESJIPObjectives
In order to enable better designs of safer and more reliable thruster systems onboard special
ships,thethrusterpropulsionsystemshavetobeimprovedindesign,hencetuningthesystemto
actual service conditions. This will result in increased lifetime, lower capital cost, lower
maintenancecost,loweremissionsandlowerfuelconsumption.Researchintotheshaftdynamic
responseofthrustersystemisneededtoreachthisgoal.
Thecurrenttoolsandmethodsthatareabletosimulatethedynamicbehaviorofathrusterdrive
train in actual service conditions are partly available, mainly at the classification societies.
However, these have limited abilitiesto predict actualloading duringoffdesignand dynamical
conditions. Offdesign conditions, like ventilation of thrusters, are known recently to cause
damages but are not well understood. SHARES aims at a better understanding of loads and
responsesfollowingfromsuchconditions,makingtheprojectbeneficialforbetterdesignofthe
complex thruster mechanical system. This reduces the risk of failure of systems, which is a
requirementtoenablespecialvesselstooperatesafely.
TheobjectiveoftheSHARESJIPistoachievethethorough,completeanddeepunderstandingof
thepresentproblems.Itwilldosoby:
Investigatingthevesseloperationswiththrusters;
Measuringandmonitoringthefullscalethrusters;
Analyzingandsimulatingtheshaftdynamicresponses;
Testingandmeasuringtheshaftdynamicloadsinmodelscaleatoffdesignconditions.
It is expected that this will lead to sound solutions for the gear and bearing problems of the
mechanicalazimuthingthrustersinfuturedesigns.
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3.0ScopeofWork
Shaftingsystemsformarineapplicationsdifferverymuchfromvesseltovessel.Forinstance,the
systemofalowspeedmerchantsinglescrewvesseldiffersverymuchfromthatofatwinscrew
highspeedcruiseship,thesystemofazimuthingthrustersdiffersfromfixedshaftingsystem,and
eventheshaftingsystemforthethrustersoftugboats,whereverylongandthinshaftsbetween
the upper gearbox and the main engine are often seen, differs very much from the Ldrive
systemwithelectricmotors,whereveryshortverticalshaftsconnectthepinionstotheelectric
motorswithlargeinertiaoftherotors.Ontopofthat,azimuthingthrustershaveaveryshortand
thick propeller shaft connecting the propeller to the gearwheel. The elasticity of the propeller
shaft is so low that any shock load and dynamic peak load on the propeller will be directly
transmittedtothegearwheelwithoutanyrelief.
Itisassumedthattheperiodoftheshockloadissoshortandhighthatthewholepeakloadis
takenbyonlyonesingletoothonthegearwheelwhenitisincontactwiththepinion.Theload
peakissohighthatitisenoughtoinitiatetheTIFFfailureintherootcenterofthetooth.The
crack in the center of the tooth will propagate within the root during normal operation with
fluctuatingloads.Intheend,onetoothwillbreakofffromthegearwheel.Atthesametime,the
peakloadgenerateshighsideforcesonthebearingofthepinionshaft,resultingindamageto
thebearing.
This is the present thestateofarts on the understanding of the gear damage for thrusters,
explainingwhymostmechanicaldamagesarefoundinoneofthetoothonthegearwheelandat
thesametimeinthepinionbearing.
Whenthethrustersareoperatingclosetothefreesurfaceofthewater,theprobabilitythatthe
thrusters are subjected to air ventilation becomes high. Seagoing vessels with roll and pitch
motionsinwavesareexposedtohigherriskofairventilation,seethepictureonthenextpage.
When ventilation starts and recovers, very high peak load on the propeller shaft has been
observed.Itissohighthattheloadsarecomparabletothepeakloadduetopropellerhittingan
icefloe.Pessimisticpeoplewouldthinkthatthereisnowaytodesignthrustersthatarestrong
enoughtowithstandtheventilationpeakloads.Theonlywaytopreventdamageistoprevent
ventilation.
Butthisisnotthewholestoryoftheproblem.Geardamagesarealsofoundonlargethrusters
used by drill rigs mainly for dynamic positioning (low power operation) and low speed transit
(high power operation), where the thrusters are typically installed on the bottom of the
pontoonswithatleast10meterssubmergenceandnoairventilationtobeexpected.Obviously,
the understanding of the gear damage of mechanical thrusters is not complete and thorough
researchisneeded.
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Exampleofthrusterventilationbothinaseawayandincalmwater,bothforthrusterwith
ductedpropellersandalsoforthrusterswithopenpropellers
Inordertohavefocusforthepresent project,itisdecidedtostudyonlythe dynamicloadsat
offdesignconditionofthethrustersforthefollowingtwooperations,whicharethoughttobe
thetypeofoperationswhengeardamagestakeplace.
Extrememaneuveringwherethrusterinteractionsplayanimportantroleontheloadson
thrusters.
Propellerventilationwhereshocktypeloadsonthepropellermaydirectlytransmittothe
gearwheelandthepinion.
The study will incorporate the operational point of view of the vessel operators to prevent
mistakesinoperatingthethrustersandthevessel,andalsofromthemanufacturing/structural
pointofviewtounderstandtheloadsandtheresponsesofthetotalmechanicalsysteminorder
todesignareliableanddurablebalancedsystem.
Operationalstudiesandinvestigationsinordertoderiveoperationguidelines.
Loads and response studies in order to understand loads and responses and to make
reliableanddurabledesigns.
Since the damages are found both for thrusters with ducted propellers for low speed and DP
operations (typically 0 to 8 knots), and also found for thrusters with open propellers for
relativelyhighspeedoperations(typically15to20knots),weproposetofocusonthefollowing
twotypesofthrusters.
Pushingthrusterwithductedpropeller
Pullingthrusterwithopenpropeller
Thecomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)isnotyetdevelopedgoodenoughtosimulateunsteady
transientflowsforathrusteratoffdesigncondition,andisatitsinfancyforthrusterventilations,
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itisproposedtocarryoutthedynamicloadsstudyforthepresentphaseoftheprojectmainlyby
modeltesting(andfullscale),andleavetheCFDasfutureoptioninthenextphaseoftheproject.
Mainlymodeltestswillbeusedtoidentifythedynamicloadlevelsandresponses.
Dynamic loads can never be split from the structural response. It is essentially important to
simulatetheresponseduringthemodeltestsinordertounderstandthedynamicloads.Onthe
other hand, the propeller shaft of the thrusters is rather thick and short, as we discussed
previously, so that the loads may be transmitted direct to the gearwheel without relief. It is
proposed to measure the dynamic loads with very stiff system, but at the same time try to
simulatetheelasticityoftherealthrustershafttrain.
Astiffshaftingsystemwithlimitedelasticityformostofthestudiesinthepresentscope
Anelasticshaftingsystemsimulatingtherealthrustersystempilotstudy
Thestifftestsystemcanberealizedbyusingstiffsensorswithelectricmotorintheunderwater
housingofthethrusterwithlargerotorinertia,asshowninthefollowingfigure.Thepropeller
willbemadeoflightmaterial,e.g.aluminum.
Thetestsetupwithstiffshaftingsystem(electricmotorintheunderwaterhousing)
Foranelasticsystem,itisproposedtomaketheshaftingsystemwithrightanglegearssothat
theelasticityoftheverticalshaftandtheinertiaoftheflywheelorrotorcanbeadjusted.This
systemisillustratedinthefollowingfigure.Thesystemshouldbeabletosimulatetheelasticity
oftherealthrustershaftingsystem.Acorrectsimulationlawshouldbeenforced.Thesimulation
lawisalsopartofthestudyinthepresentproject.
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Thetestsetupwithelasticshaftingsystem(rightgearsintheunderwaterhousing)
Inordertoachieveastructuredstudy,itisproposedtosubdividetheprojectintothefollowing
5workpackages.
WP1Operationstudiesandinvestigations
WP2Shaftdynamicresponseandmodeling
WP3Dynamicloadstestsduringextrememaneuveringandinteraction
WP4Dynamicloadstestsduringventilation
WP5Fullscalemeasurementandmonitoring
TheWPorderingnumberisnotnecessarilytheexecutionorder.WP1willbeaddressedfirstand
alsoWP5duetoitstimeconsumingaspectandimportance.Thedetailedscopeofworkforeach
oftheworkpackagewillbediscussedinthefollowingsections.
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Inthisworkpackage,wewillchooseafewvesselswith/withoutdamagedthrusterstocarryout
operational studies and investigations by interviews, meetings and seminars with the captains
andpersonnelonboardinordertounderstandthewaythethrusterswereusedinpracticefor
DP, transitand highspeed operations. This WP will try to map the operational experienceand
perceptionsofriskondamagingthemechanicalthrustersamongofficers,operatorsandowners
who operate vessels with azimuthing thrusters, and to identify the limits related to extreme
maneuvering and thruster ventilation, aiming at describing and closing the gaps between how
thethrustersareusedinpracticeandwhattheassumptionsandlimitsare,setbymanufacturers
andclassificationsocieties.
Thisstudywillidentifywhichdynamicloadsareavoidableandwhicharenot.
For avoidable loads, together with the results and the studies from other WPs of this JIP, the
findings will at the end translated into the guidelines on designing and operating azimuthing
thrustersinextrememaneuveringandventilationconditionsfortheoperators,theowners,the
designersandthemanufacturers,inordertoavoidunnecessaryhighdynamicloads.
Forunavoidabledynamicloads,theresultsofthisWPwillbeusedtodetailthemodeltesting
and investigation programs in order to define the magnitude of those unavoidable dynamic
loadsandtherelatedloadcharacteristicsfordimensioningthemechanicalshaftingsystems.
Inordertohavefocus,itisproposedtostudyonlytwotypesofvessels,
Atypicaldrillingrig/ship(orheavytransportorpipelayer)withmultiplethrustersfitted
tothebottomofthehull(6to8thrusterspushingtypewithductedpropellers),used
bothfordynamicpositioningandalsofortransitwithspeedbetween6to8knots.
Atypicalfasttransporterwithlightdraught(potentialofventilation)equippedwithtwin
mechanical POD pulling type azimuthing thrusters with open propellers, sailing speed
around15to18knots.
Foreachoftheabovementionedtypesofvessels,bothvesselswiththrustergeardamageand
vesselswithoutgeardamageswillbeinvestigated.Duetotheyetlimitedbudget,currentlyonly
these vessels will be taken into account in the present studies. Possible expansions could be
consideredifparticipation(budget)allowsoranextphaseoftheprojectemerges.
The owner, the user and the contractors of the these types of vessels who take part in the
presentJIPareinvitedtosuggestvesselsforinvestigations/interviews.
It is proposed that one of the partners from the classification societies takes the lead for this
workpackage.
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When investigating dynamic forces and moments on thrusters and their shafting systems,
dynamicloadscanneverbeseparatedfromtheresponseofthesystems.Simulatingcorrectlythe
responses of the mechanical systems in order to understand the dynamic loads is extremely
important to get insight into the problem area. This WP aims atinvestigating the responses of
theshaftingsystemsoftypicalmechanicalthrusters,includingshafttorsionloads,bendingloads,
gear meshing and hammering characteristics; identifying and deriving the similarity law on
shafting responses simulation in model scale; building and testing the model shafting systems
withdifferentdynamicresponsesinordertosimulatetheresponsesinfullscale.
During the investigations, existing and wellvalidated computer software on thruster shafting
systems(typicallyfromclassificationsaspartnersofthisJIP)willbeusedtoanalyzethedynamic
responses of both typical fullscale thrusters and also the modelscale thrusters with modeled
shaftingsystems.Theresultsofthisstudywillbeusedasinstructionsonbuildingthemodelscale
shaftingsystemsandonanalyzingandinterpretingthemodeltestresults.
Theexisting6componentshaftsensorwithhighaccuracy,asshowninthefollowingfigure,will
beusedthroughoutmostofthemodeltestsinthepresentJIP.Thedynamiccharacteristicsofthe
sensorwillbestudiedandtestedwithinthisWP.Inordertoobtainahigherresponsefrequency
ofthesensor,another6componentshaftsensorwithhigherstiffnessandhighaccuracywillbe
madeandusedinthesituationwhereshortandsingleshockloadoccurs,suchasduringthruster
ventilation.
Theexistingpropeller6componentshaftsensor(dependingontheinertiaoftheshaftandthe
propellermodel,previoustestsshowanaturalfrequencyofabove300Hzinmodelscale)
Thedynamiccharacteristicsofthesensoritselfisveryimportantforthedynamicmeasurement
of the shafting system of a thruster. In principle, the sensor should be as stiff as possible,
simulatingtheshortandthickstiffpropellershaftofmostmechanicalazimuthingthrusters.But
ontheotherhand,thesensorshouldbeelasticenoughinordertobeabletogenerateenough
strain for the strain gauges so that the forces and moments can be accurately measured. A
typicalresponseofasensortotheforcescanbeexplainedinthefollowingfigure.
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Anexampleofsensorresponsetotheimpactforce
In ordertomake the dynamic forces and moments measurements, the natural frequency fnof
the sensor should be as high as possible. The valid data is only in the frequency regime lower
thanthenaturalfrequencyofthesensor.
Thefollowingfigureshowsatypicaldynamicforcesampledduringamodeltestanditsspectrum
by a sensor. The measurement is only valid for the frequency range lower than the natural
frequencyofthesensor.Thesignalshouldbefilteredbyalowpassfilter.
Anexampleofsampledforceanditsspectrum
Fortheanalysisofthepropellershaftgearwheelsystem,finiteelementmethodshouldbeused
toanalyzethedynamiccharacteristicsofthetotalsystem,includingalsotheaddedmasseffect
ofthewateronthepropellerandhub,inadditiontotheinertiaofthemechanicalsystem.The
followingfigureshowsapropellershaftsystemwithsimulatedaddedmassofthewaterandthe
calculateddisplacementatitsnaturalfrequencyofthefirstmode.
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Anexampleoftheanalysisofthenaturalfrequencyofapropellershaftsystem(left:the
simulationoftheaddedmass,right:thedisplacementofthebladeduetothethrustforce)
For the hydrodynamic forces, the model tests should follow the similarity of Strouhal law, as
giveninthefollowingequation,
whichdescribestheratiobetweenthefluidunsteadyforceandtheinertiaforce.Aspartofthe
study, the similarity law for the mechanical response will be investigated within this work
package.
According to the above discussions and the goal of this work package, the following scope of
workisdefined.
Analyzing the natural frequency of the model propeller, the sensor, the gearwheel and
thepropellershaftsystem.Determinethevalidrangeofthedynamicmeasurements,for
both the thruster with pushing ducted propeller configuration and the thruster with
pullingopenpropellerconfiguration.
Studyandproposethesimilaritylawforthesimulationofthemechanicalshaftingsystem
forthepresentdynamicresponsemodeltests.
By selecting two fullscale cases with gear damages, one pushing ducted propeller and
one pulling open propeller, and using existing class calculation programs to analyze the
shaftingcharacteristicsandprovideguidanceforthemodeling.
Designandbuildtwothrusterconfigurations,onepushingwithductedpropellerandone
pulling with open propeller, with correct elasticity so that the dynamic response of the
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system simulates the fullscale thruster shaftingsystem. Thissystemsshould be able to

adjustitscharacteristicssothatthedynamicresponsecanbechanged.
Pilotstudyandteststotryoutthissystematselectedthrusteroperationalconditions.
Due to thecomplexity of the dynamic response modeling, this wok package remains as a pilot
study. The results of this study will lead to a clear picture on modeling dynamic response in
modelscaleinacorrectwayandfurtherdetailedstudycanbecarriedoutinthenextphaseof
thepresentproject.
Classisinvitedtoparticipatethroughnumericalanalysisofthedeterminedandagreedtestset
up.
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WP3Dynamicloadstestsduringextrememaneuveringandinteractions
Until now, there is limited knowledge on the possible transient impact loads on the propeller
bladesandtheshaftofanazimuthingthrusterwhenthethrusterissettoarbitraryanglesinany
possibleadvancespeedandmovementahead,astern,driftaside,etc.Theonlypracticeatthis
momentforusingmultiplethrustersistheforbiddenzone,whichispredefinedforeachthruster.
Thoseforbiddenzonesaredefinedneitherbasedonthedynamicloadsonthethrustersnoron
thepossibledamagestotheirmechanicalpartsandshaftingsystems,butmainlywithaviewto
thedegradationoftheeffectivethrustduetointeractions.Theinteractioneffectonshaftloads
remainsunknownandunexplored.
Inadditiontotheinteractions,steeringtheazimuthingthrusterstoacertainlargeangleduring
maneuvering at low or high vessel speed may result in unexpected high level dynamic loads
variations,withhighloadspikesandhysteresisdynamiccharacteristics,asanexampleshownin
thefollowingfigure.
Anexampleofdynamicloadsonthepropellershaftofathruster(whereisthesteeringangle
andthetwocolorsshowthetwosteeringdirections)
According to the previous similar tests carried out at MARIN, the natural frequency of the
existing6componentpropellershaftsensorishighenoughtocapturethedynamicloadsforthis
WP.Itisproposedtousetheexistingshaftsensorthroughoutallthetestscopebelow.
Thisworkpackageshallconsistofthefollowingtwosubpackages,oneisonthedynamicloadsof
thrustersduringmaneuveringandtheotherisonthedynamicloadsofthrustersduringthruster
interactions.
Dynamicloadsduringextrememaneuvering
Withinthissubworkpackage,itisproposedtomeasurethe6componentdynamicsforcesand
moments both on the propeller shaft and also on the total thruster unit on the thruster
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foundation,as showninthefollowingfigurewiththecoordinatedefinedforall the forcesand

moments.
Although the coordinates are shown with a thruster with pulling open propeller, these tests
shouldbealsocarriedoutforpushingthrusterwithductedpropellers.Thethrustoftheductwill
bemeasuredsimultaneously.
Thecoordinatesystemsonthepropellershaftandonthethrusterfoundation
During the dynamic force measurements, the following 6component forces and moments will
be simultaneously measured and delivered in nondimensionalized coefficients as given in the
followingformula.
Theadvancecoefficientisdefinedas,
Onthethrustercoordinatesystemoxyz,thefollowing6componentsshallbemeasured,
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On the ship coordinate system OXYZ, the following 6 components shall be measured o the
foundationofthethruster,
The sampled signal will be filtered by lowpass filter at a frequency lower than the natural
frequencyofthepropellersensorshaftgearwheelsystem.
Thefollowingscopeofworkforthissubworkpackageisdefined:
Thetestswillbecarriedoutfortwothrusterconfigurations,oneofpushingtypethruster
withductedpropellerandoneofpullingthrusterwithopenpropeller.
Foreachoftheconfigurations,threepropellersatthreepitchsettings(P/D=0.8,P/D=1.0
andP/D=1.2)willbemanufacturedandtested.
ThetestswillbecarriedoutforthefollowingadvancecoefficientsfromJ=0.0,0.2,0.4,0.6,
0.8,1.0to1.2(onlyforopenpropeller,pullingthruster).
Thetestwillbecarriedoutatbothsteadyandunsteadyconditions
o Inthesteadycondition,thethrusterswillbesettoafixedsteeringangleandthe
dynamicforcesand momentswill bemeasured.Theresultswillbepresentedas
the mean values together with 95% occurrence intervals around each mean
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showing the dynamic fluctuation of the forces and moments. The range of the
steeringangleswillbechosenas,
030o60o80o90o100o110o120o130o150o180o
o Intheunsteadycondition,testswillbecarriedoutattwodifferencesteeringrate
ofthethruster,onewillberepresentativeforthemaximumsteeringrateofthe
thrustersatbollardcondition(typically1/30Hzinfullscale)andtheotherwillbe
the maximum steering rate of the thrusters at free sailing condition (typically
1/120Hzinfullscale).
Dynamicloadsduringthrusterinteractions
Withinthissubworkpackage,itisproposedtomeasurethe6componentdynamicsforcesand
moments both on the propeller shaft and also on the total thruster unit at the thruster
foundationduringthrusterinteractions.Wewillmakeuseofastockthrusterwhichpropelsajet
flowintotheinstrumentedthrusterswith6componentsensorsandmeasurethedynamicforces
andmomentsatbothsteadyandunsteadyconditions.Thefollowingshowstheconceptofthe
interactionstestsetup.
Testsetupforthrusterinteractions
Thesamedefinitionoftheforcesandmomentsasprovidedinthelastsubsectionswillbeused
duringtheinteractiontestsandthepresentationoftheresults.
In addition to the dynamic forces and moments measurement during the tests, it is also
essentiallyimportanttomeasuretheflowduringthetestinordertounderstandtheslipstream
of the thruster which blows into the other thruster. Therefore, it is proposed to make use of
MARINsParticleImageVelocimetry(PIV)toinvestigatetheflowdetailsforselectedinteraction
conditions.
ThefollowingfigureshowstheadvancedPIVsystemuseddailyatthedeepwatertowingtankof
MARIN.
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TheadvancedPIVflowmeasurementsystematMARIN
AnexampleofthemeasuredflowfieldforAnexampleofthemeasuredwakedevelopment
asinglescrewvessel
alonganopenshaftofatwinscrewvessel
The model test for this sub work package should be carried out in such a way that the
instrumented thruster will be set to the prescribed setting angle . The tests should start as
unsteadytests.Thethruster,whichpropelstheflowintotheinstrumentedthruster,willsweep
over an angle range , as shown in the sketch at two different steering rate and at difference
advance speed defined as the advance coefficient J. During the tests, the dynamic forces and
momentsonthepropellershaftaswellasonthetotalunitwillbemeasured.Theresultwillbe
analyzedinthesamewayastheprevioussubsection.
After analysis of the unsteady tests results, the critical setting angles will be found when the
mostsevereinteractionsandpeakforcesandmomentswillberecordedandmeasured.Forthe
critical conditions, steady measurement will be carried out at those setting angles both for
instrumentedthrusterasandalsoforthethrusterblowingflowas.
Besides thetestsdiscussedabove basedontheopenwatersetupofthrusters,modeltestand

dynamic forces and moments measurements will be also measured in behind conditions. Two
typicalvesselswillbeselectedforthisbehindmodeltests,oneshallbealowspeeddrillrigand
theothershallbeafastmechanicalPODspropelledtransporter.Forthedrillrig,thetestsshall
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be mainly tested with the consideration of the influence of the flat bottom on the thruster
interaction and therefore the dynamics loads on the thrusters. For the fast transporter, the
influenceoftheshiphullandsternskegwillhavestronginfluenceonthedynamicloadsonthe
thrusterduringextrememaneuvering.
Thefollowingisthedetailedscopeofworkforthissubworkpackage.
Thedynamicforcesandmomentsmeasurementswithopenwaterthrustersetupswillbe
carried out by unsteady sweeping tests. These should be carried out for the following
conditions.
o Threerelativedistanceshouldbetested,fromL/D=5,10and20,representingthe
typicaldistancebetweenthrustersfordrillrigs.
o Two sweeping steering rate will be tested, one will be representative for the
maximumsteeringrateofthethrustersatbollardcondition(typically1/30Hzin
fullscale)andtheotherwillbethemaximumsteeringrateofthethrustersatfree
sailingcondition(typically1/120Hzinfullscale).
o ThreeadvanceconditionsshouldbetestedJ=0.0(dynamicpositioningandbollard
pull),J=0.4(intermediatecondition)andJ=~0.8(freesailingcondition).
o Four setting angles of the instrumented thrusters shall be tested,
=0o,=30o,=60oand=90o.
Thedynamicforcesandmomentsmeasurementswithopenwaterthrustersetupswillbe
alsocarriedoutatsteadytestconditionsatthemostsevereconditionfortheforcesand
moments.
o The steady tests will be carried out at the combinations of the selected
parametersfor,andL.Intotal,6combinationswillbetestedandthedynamic
forcesandmomentswillbeanalyzedandpresented.
For the 6 combinations selected in the steady test conditions with the open water
thruster setups, PIV measurement will be carried out for each of the selected
combination.Itisproposedtomake5flowcutsforeachofthe6combinations.Intotal,
30flowcutswillbecarriedout.
Thebehindtestconditions,3testconditionsforthedrillingrigand3testconditionsfor
the fast transporter will be investigated and the dynamic loads will be recorded and
analyzed.
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WP4Dynamicloadstestsatventilation
Thruster ventilation is an important issue nowadays, not only due to the sudden loss of the
thrustandtorqueduringe.g.dynamicpositioning,butalsothehighdynamicloadsfluctuations
on the blades and shafts. It is well known that the propulsor looses suddenly both thrust and
torque within one single propeller revolution when ventilation starts, followed by a few high
impactloadpeaksinthecomingrevolutionsduringtherecoveryphase,backtothefullywetted
situation.Itisknownfromliteratureandsomefundamentalstudies,thattheimpactloadsduring
the propeller ventilation is as high as those of a propeller hitting an ice floe. The loads can be
muchhigherthanpeoplewouldexpectinopenwateroperations.
The objective of this WP is to understand thruster ventilation mechanism, to investigate the

ventilation inception (onset) criteria, and to measure the dynamic loads on the blades, in the
shaftandforthetotalthrusterunitduringventilation,bymeansofmodeltestinginatmospheric
aswellasinvacuumconditionswithcavitationonthepropellerblades.
The ventilation event is a very short impact event. In order to capture the peak load, it is
proposed to built a new 6component sensor for the propeller shaft with higher stiffness and
highernaturalfrequency.SincesensorwillbeusedthroughoutthewholetestswithinthisWP.
The ventilation work package consists of the following two sub work packages, one is on the
workingprincipleandtheotherisonthedynamicloadsmeasurements.
Workingprincipleofthrusterventilation
Fortheworkingprinciplestudyofventilationinception(onset),wewillmakeuseofanoscillating
open water setup for different submergence of the thruster at different amplitudes and
frequencies.Highspeedunderwatervideocamerawillbeusedduringtheteststoviewtheflow
and the inception of the ventilation. In addition, the videos will be synchronized with the
dynamicloadsmeasuredonthepropellerbladesandtheshaft.Selectedtestswillalsobecarried
out in the waves in the renovated depressurized towing tank of MARIN in vacuum conditions
with waves, in order to simulate ventilation in a more realistic condition with cavitating
propellers.Thefindingofthisstudywillleadtothebetterunderstandingofthrusterventilation
and the criterion of ventilation inception, and will result in the guidelines for preventing
ventilationfromoccurring.
The photos on the next page show the high speed video observation of ventilation event,
togetherwiththemeasureddynamicloadsonthebladeswhichwassynchronizedwiththevideo
record.
Propellerventilationisstronglyaffectedbymanyfactors,includingambientconditions,propeller
loadingconditions,waterquality,cavitation,waves,etc.Primarily,thesubmergenceratioplayed
animportantrole,whichisdefinedas,
Page|21
whereHisthesubmergenceofthepropellershaftunderthefreesurfaceandRisthepropeller
radius.
Propellerventilationrecordedbyhighspeedvideowithsynchronizeddynamicloads
In addition, the propeller loading plays also an important role. This could be described by the
thrust load coefficient CT which changes with the advance coefficient J. The propeller load will
eventuallydeterminesthepressuredistributiononthebladesurface.Itiswidelyacceptedthat
propellerventilationdependsontherelativepressuredifferencebetweentheambientpressure
onthefreesurfaceandthesuctionpressureonthebladesurfaces.Thatiswhymanyventilation
tests were carried out in the towing tank at atmospheric pressure. But experiments in the
depressurized towing tank of MARIN show that ventilation does be affected by the ambient
pressure,directlyorindirectly.Atthesametime,cavitationonthepropellerbladeplaysalsoan
importantroleintheinceptionoftheventilation.Inordertocorrectlysimulateventilation,itis
proposed to carry out the test at pressure condition which is scaled by cavitation number as
giveninthefollowingformula.
When the cavity is ventilated, Pv = Pa, the cavitation number becomes ventilation number
definedas,
Froude number, which ensures the similarity of the gravitation, should be also satisfied during
themodeltests.Itaffectsboththesurfacewavesandalsothegradientofthepressureincrease
withthesubmergence.
The other factors that are believed to have strong influence on propeller ventilation are the
surfacetensionandviscosityofthefluid.Bothofthesetwofactorsarenotabletobesimulated
duringthemodeltests,buttheyareallknowntohaveacertaincriticalvalues.Whenthevalues
Page|22
are higher than the critical values during the model test, the influence of the surface tension
(described by Weber Number) and the viscous effect (described by Reynolds Number) on
propellerventilationwillbelimited.
At this moment, the Depressurized Towing Tank of MARIN is undergoing a major renovation.
Besidestherenovationontheinstrumentation,themajorchangethatwillbemadetothetankis
addingwavegeneratorsontwosidesofthistank.Therenovationwillbefinishedattheendof
Year2011.FromthebeginningofYear2012,thefullyrenovatednewtankwillbeinoperation
withtheabilityformodeltestsindepressurizedconditionwithwaves.Thenewnameofthetank
willbeDWB(DepressurizedWaveBasin).Itwillbecometheidealfacilityforventilationstudies.
ThefollowingfigureshowstheconceptoftherenovationoftheDWB.
TheDepressurizedWaveBasin(DWB)ofMARIN
Different from a conventional cavitation tunnel where the Froude number cannot be
simultaneously simulated as the cavitation number and the advance coefficient, all the
similarities can be satisfied in the DWB (including Froude number), except for Webber and
Reynoldsnumbers.
Sincethestartingofpropellerbladeventilationisaveryshorteventwhichtakesplacewithinone
propeller revolution and starts from one single blade, It is important to measure the shock
impacton thesingleblade,besidesthedynamicmeasurementswiththe6component sensors
on the propeller shaft, as discussed and used in the last section. This provides also additional
informationonbladedynamicloadsthatwillbeveryinterestingforthepropellermanufacturer
inordertodimensionthehubsize.
Itisproposedhencealsotomeasurethebladespindletorqueduringthepropellerventilationby
instructonebladewithsensor,asshowninthefollowingfigure.
Page|23
Propellermodelinstrumentedwithshaftandbladesensors
It is also known that propellers can have different stages of ventilations. When a propeller
partially ventilated, the dynamic loads on the propeller is rather similar to that of cavitating
propeller. When a propeller is fully ventilated, the mean loads on the propeller will be
dramaticallyreducedandatthesametimethefluctuationofforcesandmomentswillbelimited
too.Themostdangerousventilationisinbetween.Peopleoftencalledcriticalventilation.
Accordingtothediscussionsabove,weproposethefollowingscopeofworkforthepresentsub
workpackage.
For the thrusters with pushing configuration with ducted propeller, the study will be
focused on dynamic positioning and bollard pull operations, at zero or low speed
conditions.Wewillmakeuseoftheoscillatingopenwatersystemtosimulatetherolland
pitchmotionsofthevesselinaseaway.Theshaft6componentsensorswillbeusedto
recordthedynamicloadsonboththepropellershaftandtheduct,andalsothetotalunit
loads. Only one propeller (P/D=1.0) will be used in this study. During the test, we will
makesynchronizedhighspeedvideos.Theadvancecoefficients,theFroudenumber,the
cavitation number (ventilation number) will be simulated, while the Reynolds number
andWebbernumberwillbehigherthanthecriticalnumbers.
o Thetestswillbecarriedoutatthreepropellershaftsubmergences,beingh=0.8,
1.0,1.2.
o Thetestswillbecarriedoutatthreeamplitudeofoscillations,0.3R,0.6Rand0.9R.
o Thetestwillbecarriedoutattwoadvanceratio,representingbollardpullatzero
speedand3knotscurrentflow.
o Only one oscillating frequency will be used during the tests, representing an
envisagedfullscalerollperiodoftypicalDPvessel.
Forthethrusterwithpullingconfigurationwithopenpropeller,weproposetocarryout
thesimilarmodeltestasthatfortheductedpropeller,butfocusingatsailingcondition.
We will make use of the oscillating open water system to simulate the roll and pitch
motionsofthevesselinaseaway.Theshaft6componentsensorswillbeusedtorecord
thedynamicloadsonboththepropellershaftandtheduct,andalsothetotalunitloads.
Only one propeller (P/D=1.0) will be used in this study. During the test, we will make
synchronized high speed videos. The advance coefficients, the Froude number, the
Page|24
cavitation number (ventilation number) will be simulated, while the Reynolds number
andWebbernumberwillbehigherthanthecriticalnumbers.
o The tests should be carried out at three propeller shaft submergences, being
h=0.8,1.0,1.2.
o Thetestsshouldbecarriedoutatthreeamplitudeofoscillations,0.3R,0.6Rand
0.9R.
o The test should be carried out at one advance ratio close to the design sailing
speedofthevesselinservice.
envisagedfullscalerollperiodoftypicalfastsailingvessel.
In addition to the above tests, for the open propeller fitted to pulling thruster, it is
proposedalsotoinvestigatethebladedynamicspindletorqueduringventilation.(Most
ductedpropellersusedforpushingthrustershavefixedpitchpropeller.Noinvestigation
willbecarriedoutforthebladespindletorqueforductedpropellersduringventilation)
Only two cases selected from the above tests with critical ventilation should be carried
out.
o Propeller blade spindle torque tests at two selected critical open propeller
ventilationconditionsbyusingopenwatertestsetupwithoutthrusterhousing.
Optional(dependingontheavailabilityoftheshipmodelandthewillingnessoftheship
ownertotestarealshipinoperation),fortheselectedfasttransporterfittedwithpulling
thrusters where the gear damages have been observed, one behind test of the vessel
fittedwiththeinstrumentedthrusterswillbecarriedoutinaseawayintheDWB.During
thetests,thedynamicforcesandmomentswillbemeasured.Highspeedvideoswillbe
takensimultaneouslytoo.
Dynamicloadsmeasurementofpropellerventilation
Afterstudiesandinvestigationscarriedoutinthelastsection,theventilationmechanismofthe
investigated thrusters will become clear and the most severe ventilation critical conditions will
be found. It is then proposed to carry out systematic model tests as we do for the extreme
maneuveringtests,butinventilationconditions.
For the pushing thruster fitted with ducted propellers, we propose to carry out the
dynamic forces and moments measurements with open water thruster setup at steady
conditions.Theseshouldbecarriedoutatthefollowingconditions.
o Three propellers at three pitch settings (P/D=0.8, P/D=1.0 and P/D=1.2) will be
tested.
o Thetestswillbecarriedoutattwoadvancecoefficientrepresentingtheenvisaged
fullscaleDPandincurrent(3knots)conditions,foreachofthepropeller.
o Onlyonesteeringsettingangleatzerodegreewillbetested.
Forthepushingthrusterfittedwithductedpropellers,weproposealsotocarryoutthe
ventilation tests at the 6 severe interaction cases selected in WP3, combining with the
Page|25
mostsevereventilationcombinationofshaftsubmergenceandoscillatingamplitude.The
testswillbecarriedoutatoneoscillatingfrequency.
Forthepullingthrusterfittedwithopenpropellers,weproposetocarryoutthefollowing
testsforsailingconditionsatthemostseverecombinationoftheshaftsubmergenceand
theoscillatingamplitudefoundinthestudiesinthelastsection,
o Three propellers at three pitch settings (P/D=0.8, P/D=1.0 and P/D=1.2) will be
tested.
o Thetestswillbecarriedoutatoneadvancecoefficientrepresentingtheenvisaged
fullscalesailingcondition,foreachofthepropeller.
o The test will be carriedout at steady condition. The thruster will be set to fixed
steering angles and the dynamic forces and moments will be measured. The
resultswillbepresentedasplotsoftimesignals.Therangeofthesteeringangles
willbechosenas,
030o60o80o90o100o110o120o130o150o180o
Page|26
Thisworkpackageisaimedatfullscalemeasurementsonlargethrusters.Theobjectivesofthe
measurementswillbe
Toidentify:
o Physicalphenomenathattriggerexcessiveloadsingearsandbearings;
o Operationalcircumstancesthatprovoketheseeffects;
o Amplitudesofloadvariationsinthethrustersystem;
Tovalidateresultsofmodeltestsanddesigntools
The investigations will be conducted along a stepwise path starting with extensive
measurements and observations in a dedicated short term trial, followed by a longer term
monitoringcampaignwheretheoperationalprofileofusageandthrusterresponseiscaptured
undernormalserviceconditions.
ThisWPisstronglylinked,notonly,withWP3andWP4forthemodeltests,butalsowithWP1
ontheoperationstudies.TheresultsofthisWPshouldcontributetothesetupoftheoperational
guidelinestoo.
Scope
It is understood that the type of damages that occur in practice, cannot be explained by the
loadingprofilethatisassumedinthedesign.Thedesigndoesnotdiffersubstantially(exceptfor
scale) from smaller designs that do not exhibit these problems. It is thus feared that unknown
loadingphenomenaareplayingapartintheproblem.Toidentifyandquantifytheactualloads
underserviceconditionsfollowingscopeofworkwillbeaddressed:
1. Capturetheresponseandloadsofthethrusterinordertoestimatetheloadsdueto:
o staticloads(propulsionpower),
o propellerharmonicloadvariations(duetowake,propellergeometryandcavitation,
and
o thruster internal dynamics (due to gearing ratio, number of teeth, and bearing
dynamics.
From these observations it is assumed to be possible to identify the events when the
loadsexceedthedesignassumptions.
2. Observetheflowbehaviouralongthe thrusterduringthededicatedtrials bymeansof
highspeedvideoobservationsinordertocomparethrusterperformance,cavitationand
ventilationpatternwithdesignassumptions.
3. Capture the operational conditions that determine the actual loading onto the drive
system during the events determined from the response and load observations. These
conditionsarethentobethebasisforfurtherindepthinvestigationsinthemodelbasin
ornumericalcalculations.Thesemaythenbeexpectedtoreproducetheidentifiedloads
andresponses.Themodel(testorsimulation)cantheninturnbeusedtoevaluatedesign
modificationsoroperationalguidelinestoavoidtheexceptionalpeakloads.
Page|27
Forthededicatedseatrialsandthemonitoring,thefollowingmeanswillbeused.
Loadsmeasurement
Measuringtheloadsthroughoutthethrusterstructure duringvariousoperationswouldbethe
preferred way to capture what actually happens. Unfortunately thrusters are huge casted
assemblies of gears, bearings and seals that are for the majority filled with gearbox oil which
makes it difficult to fit measurement sensors at the locations where one would be specifically
interested.Thesearethepropellershaft,theverticalthrustershaftandtheenginedriveshaft.
uppergear
driveshaft
engine
verticalshaft
lowergear
propeller
propellershaft
Schematicthrustersdrivetrain
Itisconsideredthat
measuringtheloadsinthedriveshaftwillbepossible;
measuringloadsintheverticalshaftwillnotbepossibleduetoaccessibility
measuringloadsinthepropellershaftwillbeabigchallenge.
Inadditiontotheprincipalloadsintheshafts,thestructurewillalsoexhibitvibrationsunderthe
acting loads. Although these vibrations do not provide direct indication of loads they do point
out where measured response is coming from by means of typical frequencies related to the
numberofteethinthegears,thedimensionsofthebearingsetc.Measurementofaccelerations
of the thruster unit in 6 degrees of freedom is expected to provide qualitative information of
loadsinthethruster.
When the thruster is operated in extreme conditions for instance while maneuvering, under
shallow draft, or at bollard pull conditions, the inflow patterns and propeller loads may be
affectedbycavitationandventilation.Thesemaybepossibletoobserveusingvideoandorhigh
speedvideo.
Driveshaftloads
The drive shaft is principally the only shaft that runs inside the hull and is accessible for data
collection.Ifsufficientlengthofshaftisavailable(approx50cm)thenthedrivetorqueandRPM
canbecapturedwithouttoomuchproblem.
Themainchallengeincapturingdriveshaftloadsisintherequiredsamplingfrequency.Sinceit
may be that singular gear tooth loads trigger the first crack initiation, the propeller teeth
Page|28
frequenciesareofinterest.Thesearedeterminedbythenumberofteethonthepinionwheels
andtheRPMoftheshafts.
It is recommended to oversample the load variations in order to determine more than one
harmonicandcheckforharmonicloadvariationsfromtoothtotooth.
Itisproposedtocapturetheloadvariationsat1000Hzthatallowscapturingthethirdharmonic
oftheuppergeartoothfrequencies.
MARINs shaft torsion load monitoring system is based on strain gauge technology. Data is
transmitted from the turning shaft to a receiver as a frequency modulated signal. The centre
frequency is 10 kHz with variations of 5 kHz in plus or minus direction relating to 2000 micro
strain.Normaldataloggingisdonewith10Hztohavemaximizedresolutionofshafttorque.By
changingsignalcollectionparametersdatacanbecapturedat1000Hzatresolutionof2micro
strain.Sincetheobjectiveistolookforlargeloadvariations,thisisconsideredtobeareasonable
compromise.Inparticularwhenassumingthattoothandshaftdesignsaremostlikelydesigned
for similar max working loads related to strains order of magnitude 5001000 micro strain.
Furtherdetailswiththeshaftdiametersandnominalloadsmaybeusedtoassessresolutionin
termsofactualloads.
Itisassumedthatnormaloperatingconditionswillprovideareferenceperformance/response
of the loads in the drive shaft. By comparison of in service data versus this reference
performance,itshouldbepossibletoidentifyoffdesignevents.
RPMwillbemeasuredalongwiththerecordingstoallowassessmentofpoweralongwithtorque
andsynchronizemeasurementswithshaftangle.Thetechnicalchallengesfortheseobservations
liemainlyinthepoweringoftheshaftmountedequipment.Forshorttermtrialsthisdoesnot
pose a problem. For long term trials MARIN would like to consider options in communication
withthrustermanufacturersandoperatorofthevesseltobeinstrumented.
Propellershafttorque(optional)
Itisconsideredwhetheritispossibletofitapropellershafttorquemeasurementeventhough
theenvironmentclosetothehubofthepropellerisparticularlyharshwithpressurevariations,
vibrations,andeventualwires/weedsgettingcaughtaroundtheshaft.
Supposedly a small length of shaft should be available for measurements between the outer
seal/bearingandthepropellerhub.(Figure3).Dependingonactualsizeitmightbepossibletofit
asensortotheshaftandcapturelocalshaftload.
Page|29
Propellershaft
Apartfromthechallengetofitthesensorthefollowingcomplicationshavetobeaddressed:
Installationofdatacollectionconditioner/logger
Waterproofingofsensorandconditioner/loggerforprolongedtime
Powersupplyofthedatalogger/conditioner
Dataretrievalfromthedatalogger
Poweringanddataretrievalfromthesensorsmayendupbeingthemostrelevantshowstoppers.
Twovariationscanbeconsideredforimplementation.Thefirstastandalonesetupwithbattery
packanddatalogger.Thesecondwithadatalinkforpowerandcontinuousdatatransmission.
Thelatteroptionmayprovetobeimpossibleduetothenumberofturningaxesthatneedtobe
crossedpriortoarrivinginsidethehull.
The first option however provide challenges due to limited battery life, and practical
complicationswhenadiveroraROVhastoretrievethedata.Notallvessels(e.goffshorevessels)
willregularlygooutofoperation.
Becauseofthecomplications,theoptiontocapturepropellershaftloadswillbeevaluatedand
consideredbutnotnecessarilybeimplementedifcomplicationsturnouttobetoomany.
Vibrationmeasurement
Theeffectsofthevariousloadsareassumedtoinducevibrationsinthethrusterthatshouldbe
largeenoughtocapturebyusingaccelerometers.Assuchtheactualloadisnotcapturedbutthe
effect is. Deviations from the normal loads patterns should be clearly sticking out of the
operationalprofileandallowrecognizingoffdesignconditions.
In addition to the loads by the teeth and propeller, the accelerations are likely to represent
frequenciesoriginatingfromthebearingsasshaftvibrationsinthebearingsanddynamicsofthe
bearingsinthebearingraces.
Thecharacteristicfrequenciesfromteethandbearingsinupperandlowergears,areexpectedto
allow the identification of the origin of the loads, even when measuring from the top of the
thrusterunit.
Itisthusproposedtomeasureaccelerationsbycapturing:
Longitudinal,lateralandverticalaccelerationsattheheightoftheupperbearing.
Page|30
Horizontalaccelerationsatthrusterazimuthingbearinginordertocaptureaccelerations
inpitchandrolldirectionsbycombinationwithsensorsupperbearing.
Accelerationsensorsshouldhave:
sufficientrangetoincludeextremedesignconditions(crashstop,hardovertests)where
highvibrationsareexpected,
sufficientresolutiontodistinguishsmallereffectsofforinstancebearingdynamicsover
effectsbyshipmotionsandenginevibrations
data collection characteristics to accommodate the frequencies of the anticipated
phenomena.
o toothfrequenciesandhammeringshouldbecapturedinexcessof1000Hz.
o bearing dynamics to be captured depending on the bearing geometry but
expectedinsimilarrangeastoothfrequencies.
Accelerometersalongthruster
Typicalspecificationsconsidered:
Range
010g,
Bandwidth 0.310kHz,
Samplingrate 10kHzbasefrequencywithfilteringforaliasingeffects
Reducedto 1000HzwithdigitalfilteringFc=400Hzforhighresolutionandlownoise.
Effectivefrequencybandwidth:
0.3400Hz.
Page|31
Pressurepulses/underwaternoisemeasurement
Theoperationofthethrusterwillresultinapressurefieldextendingtowardsthehullaroundthe
thruster.Theinstantaneousloadonthethrusterwilldeterminetheextentofthepressurefield.
Thepressurefieldwillrepresentboththepressuresduetotheoperationofthethrusterbutalso
thenoisethatisinducedbywaterflow,interactionwithairbubblesetc.Iftheassumptionholds
that bearing and gear problems are related to large variations in the loading profile of the
thruster, then the pressure field around the thruster would be expected to represent these
variationsaswell.
Followingfactorsareconsideredtoplayapart:
Thrusterrpmandpower
Azimuthangleandturningspeed
Waterinflowspeed
Aircontent

It is proposed to install agrid of 6pressuresensors in a hexagonalgrid around the thruster in

ordertocapturepressuresbothupanddownstreamofthethruster,withoutextremeeffectsof
theazimuthangle.
Pressuresensorsaroundthruster
In order to retain both the pressure signals due to propulsion loads and sound pressures, it is
proposed to install signal preconditioners and dual filtered outputs feeding the signals into
propulsionrelatedcontributionandaseparatesoundrecording.
Noiseandsoundlevelswillbecapturedwithsoundmeterwithbandwidth10020kHzforoctave
bandanalysis.
ThepressurevariationsduetopropelleroperationwillbecapturedwithADconverterat1000Hz.
Page|32
Videoobservations
Amongstthepossibleexplanationsforthethrusterproblemsare:
Excessivecavitationand
Ventilation
These phenomena can be visually observed in case of clear water and a local geometry that
allowsagoodviewonthethrusterwithsufficientlighting.
Modern camera technology allows high speed video recordings of the propeller performance
withoutadditionalexternallighting.Twoapproachesareopenforthis:
Observationsthrougha25cmPlexiglasobservationwindow.
Boroscopeobservationsthrougha12mmdrilledwholeinthehull.
Fitting of Plexiglas observation windows provides the bestpossible video quality. Bigger lenses
can be used allowing better resolution, contrast and higher recording speed. The downside of
thewindowsisthattheycanonlybefittedindrydock.
Boroscope observations can be done through a 12 mm hole that can be drilled using hand
equipmentevenwiththevesselinoperation.Aflangeisweldedpriortomakingtheholeinorder
toreinstatehullintegritywithablindflangeafterthemeasurementsarefinished.Becauseofthe
smalllensopeningoftheboroscopeonlyasmallamountoflightisavailablewhichisadownside
comparedtothePlexiglaswindows.Theboroscopeallowsa360degreeviewaround.Becauseof
theeaseofinstallation,alsoalargenumberoflocationscanbeevaluated.
Usingeithertechniqueitwillbepossibletoidentifyifcavitationorventilationdoesoccur.Itis
notedthatforobservations,itisneededthattheobservationpointitselfisnotobscuredbyair
bubbles.
Operationalparametersmeasurements
Theoperationalparametersaredeterminedby:
ThrusterRPM,torqueandpower.
Thrusterazimuthingangleandturningspeed.
Shipsspeed,drift,turningrate,draughtandwaterdepth(forpropellerinflow).
Shipmotions(roll,pitch,yaw,surge,swayandheave).
Position, heading, course, track over ground and wind/wave data. (For assessment of
environmentalloadsafterwards).
Temperature in thruster housing to evaluate degradation by internal losses and
temperatureloadinginitself.
Itisassumedthattheseparameterscanberetrievedfromtheshipssystems.
Page|33
Measurementprogram
One representative vessel will be selected for the seatrials and monitoring. Depending on the
budget, a second vessel may be considered (optional at this moment). The scope of work
consistsofthefollowingtwosubtasks.
Shorttermdedicatedfullscalemeasurements
Theshorttermtrialsshouldcapture:
Benchmarkperformancetobeusedforinterpretationoffurtherdata.Thiswould
typicallybeaveryslowlyexecutedspeedramp.
Extreme condition data sets for response under controlled non stationary extreme
conditionssuchas.
o Turningcircle
o Spiraltest
o Zigzagtestatvaryingspeed/angle
o Crashstop
o VaryingoppositethrusteranglesPS/SB
The installation of equipment will require some port time but will not affect normal ship
operation.Theexecutionoftheshorttermtrialsprogramcanbefittedinsingleday.Assuchit
shouldinterfereonlytoalimitedamountwiththevesselsschedule.
The controlled execution of extreme maneuvering tests allows collecting a complete and
synchronizeddataset.Usingthisdatasetfollowinganalysisisrecommended:
Quantifyloadvariationsofthevariousspecificfrequencybandsinthegearsasfunctionof
thrusterpower.Thesetobeusedasreferencelevelsforlongtermmonitoring.
Determine pressure field around the thruster as function of power/rpm, speed, and
azimuthangle.Thistobeusedforreferenceofothertestconditions.
Investigate loads and responses during maneuvering conditions and extreme thruster
operation.
o Whataretheextremes.
o Aretherespecificfrequencies.
o Cangearhammerbeoccurringinrangeoftests.
o Identifyracingeffectsrelatedtoventilationorcavitation.
Page|34
Longtermmonitoringduringservice
Long term monitoring is envisaged on the same ship to capture the operational profile of the
thrustersunderserviceconditions.Thisdependsonweather,servicerequirementsandthecrew.
Typically several months data collection are required to collect sufficient information for the
operationalprofile.Itisunderstoodthatsomeextremeeventsarealreadytobeexpectedinside
aperiodofseveralmonths.
Processingofthelongtermdatashouldbeconsideredtoinclude:
Determinationoftheoperationprofileintermsof
o Nominalloadaspercentageoftimeinoperation
o Steeringvariationsinrelationtomanoeuvring/sailingconditions(speed)
Difference between vibration levels during service operation compared to benchmark
referencevaluesobtainedfromzerorudderanglespeedramp.(basedonstatistics)
Highlighteventswithextremeconditionsforshafttorqueandvibrationlevels
Correlationofobtaineddifferencesforshafttorqueandvibrationswith
o Propellerload
o thrusterangle
o thrusterturning(azimuting)speed
o waterinflowangle
o propellerimmersion
o Pressurelevelsonhull
Zoominonthehighlightedeventsandevaluateinthetimedomainwherethepeakloads
arelikelytooriginateintermsofoperationofthethruster.
Identifytheboundaryconditionstriggeringtheextremeconditions.
4.0Deliverables
Thedeliverableswillbeintheformofreports,whichshouldincludethefollowings,
Operationalguidelines
Understandingofthegearandbearingdamagemechanism
Modeltestresultswithanalysesanddiscussionintheformofreportsandvideos
Fullscaletestresultswithanalysisanddiscussionintheformofreportsandvideos
Page|35
5.0Finance
Costs
Operation studies and investigations for the ship with pushing thrust with
ducted propeller .........................................................................................
25,000.-
Operation studies and investigations for the ship with pulling thruster with
open propeller ............................................................................................
25,000.-
Total cost for WP1 .....................................................................................
50,000.-
Study and propose mechanical similarity law for model simulations ........
10,000.-
Analysis of the full-scale typical thrusters with gear damages ..................
20,000.-
Sensor analysis, model thruster design and pilot model tests ..................
70,000.-
Total cost for WP2 .....................................................................................
100,000.-
WP3Dynamicloadstestsduringextrememaneuveringandinteractions
Manufacturing the test setups (including propeller models, ship models,
thruster models, duct models and preparation for the sensors) ................
70,000.-
Dynamic loads tests during extreme maneuvering ...................................
140,000.-
Dynamic loads tests during thruster interactions.......................................
135,000.-
Total cost for WP3 .....................................................................................
345,000.-
Working principle study of ventilation ........................................................
200,000.-
Dynamic loads tests during ventilation ......................................................
145,000.-
Total cost for WP4 .....................................................................................
345,000.-
Page|36
WP5Fullscalemeasurementsandmonitoring
Full-scale dedicated measurements ..........................................................
75,000.-
Full-scale long term monitoring (Optional for phase II) ............................
65,000.-
Total cost for WP5 .....................................................................................
140,000.-
TOTAL COST OF SHARES JIP ...............................................................
915,000.-
Participation&Contributions
The JIP project is financed by the joining participants and MARIN. The participation fee for all
participating companies and organisations is:
50,000.- euro for class societies & design companies

60,000.- euro for equipment manufacturers & operators
A total of about 17 participants distributed over both categories:

9 * 50,000.- euro = 450,000 euro
6 * 60,000.- euro = 360,000 euro
MARIN
60,000 euro
TOTAL
920,000euro
Page|37
6.0Timeschedule
ThisisaJIPplannedfortwoyears,startingfromOctoberof2011.Theglobalscheduleisshownin
thefollowingfigure.
Workpackage
2011
2012
2013
WP3Dynamicloadstestsduringextrememaneuveringandinteraction
Page|38

JIP SHARES Ver 2 1

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JIP SHARES Ver 2 1

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SHARESJIPProjectPlan

system simulates the fullscale thruster shaftingsystem. Thissystemsshould be able to

foundation,as showninthefollowingfigurewiththecoordinatedefinedforall the forcesand

Besides thetestsdiscussedabove basedontheopenwatersetupofthrusters,modeltestand

The objective of this WP is to understand thruster ventilation mechanism, to investigate the

It is proposed to install agrid of 6pressuresensors in a hexagonalgrid around the thruster in

Total cost for WP1 .....................................................................................

Analysis of the full-scale typical thrusters with gear damages ..................

Total cost for WP2 .....................................................................................

Dynamic loads tests during extreme maneuvering ...................................

Dynamic loads tests during thruster interactions.......................................

Total cost for WP3 .....................................................................................

Dynamic loads tests during ventilation ......................................................

Total cost for WP4 .....................................................................................

Full-scale long term monitoring (Optional for phase II) ............................

Total cost for WP5 .....................................................................................

TOTAL COST OF SHARES JIP ...............................................................

50,000.- euro for class societies & design companies

A total of about 17 participants distributed over both categories:

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